Marking means



a. w. HE4ENE MARKING MEANS Filed Jan. 16, 1928 Patented July 14, 1931GEORGE HEENE, or CLEVELAND; onIo MARKING MEANS Applicationffiled January16, 1928." Serial No. 2465961:

My invention relates to deviceswi'iichscre atemairlrings on articles.-One object of myinvention simple, inexpensive and ea ily' operabledevice;- to create markings on '2mticres,;whieh device an tomat-icallyspaces the: markings, which-- has ayaniety of character type memberseachof which: canbe brought into marlringpositlonselectively toqeffectvarious combinatiens of the characters,' which: has an inking means:

for,- the; type; members, which has heating means for the i type,"members, and. lit-which either the inking; or the-heating means; can

bem'oved into, or outvof operative connection or association: withthetype members; so thatbothcanbe usediconjointly or each can be" usedindependently of the other,'as desired. Another object of-myinventionzis to provide a marking device with means: for,

holding aball or similar articles for thepnrpose of marking charactersthereon andto digitally move or index: the article-to space the-markingsand co-locate the articles for proper markinganchto release thearticles; Other objects; will appear, on become apparout or obvious, orwill suggest. themselves;

upon an inspection of the accompanying drawings and during; thedescription of: the device shown in the accompanying drawings.

On: many articles, suchas golf: balls for instance it isqu'itedesirable-that. aname ori other identification mark be placed thereonsothatownership of any particular ballcan :be determined and establishedwhen some.

quire; a special inking pad'whioh is quiteinconvenient to carry aroundowing to theexposure of. theinkedsurface t hereoh itha hand stamp, themarking is-nsually very poor since the balls are not smooth ontheoutside andthercis-no way to hold thebail so that aheavy pressurecould'be bronght uponit withthe handstamp I and, ,usually there is no.means of exerting enoughs'pros sure on the hand stampto overcome theunbe; kept in a clubhouse even: surface at the ball v and the-oniginalform the ball will he chai'igedvwhcna 7 heavy pressure is brought: ontothe same: with a hand stamp.

My invention provides-a device which canor other convenient place,.which has smlicient"leverage.- t0- ore. ate a mark on. or in the surfaceof anaarticle as deep as; desired; which can. beused any one and in anyselective: combination olfacharacters, inwhich the markings can: becr'eatedon orin the surfaceofythe'ball as desired, and in which the ballis heldvso" that any pressure brought thereon during; the marking;operation does not change: the original formof the ball.

In the accompanying.drawings Fig. l is a front'view of a:deviceemhodying my invention and having aselectively indexab'leand electricallyheat-able type holder element with type memberscariiied: by the same andan arbitrarily operable inkzing means for the type members and aballlocating andball holding andaball releasing means including a charactespacing means for v the ball.

Fig. 2 is a transversesection. takeninvertical planewindioatedrhy tl-e.line 2 2 in" Fig. 1 and showsmore. clearly the reiations; ofthemembersi Fig,- Sdsanendwiew; talren at X, of'a por tion of the deviceof Fig. 1 and shows more; clearly the operating, means for thedevicepSimilar reference characters refer; to similar partsthroughoutetheviews:v

The type holder orelement-i-li, round in the present instance and spokedasshown to, as far as possible; prevent hereinafter: ex pla-ined-heatthe rim-portion thereof from being;conveyedito other parts of thedevice, is mounted on and rotatable with the shaft 10 which isournaledin the movable arm 11 which has one endthereof 'hinged or:pivoted to the frame B by means of: the pin lQZand the other end thereofguided on the" frame. and movable arcuately downwardlywith ithe pinil2as thefulcrunrpoint by means oftthe frame and ha-vingtheoperatingihan'die to rotate the same and movable arouately upwardly bymeans of the tension spring 16 which has one end thereof hooked onto theframe and the other end thereof hooked onto the arm 11 near the movableend thereof.

The element A, in the present instance, carries a plurality of typemembers or elements 17 each having one of the letters of the alphabet onone end thereof and extending outside of the outer circumferential wallof the rim thereof.

The shaft 10 extends transversely through and beyond the front and therear of the frame but clears the frame so that the shaft 10 can bodilymove arcuately vertically with the moving end of the arm 11 and inrelation to the frame and is rotated by means of the knob 18 secured tothe front end of the shaft. The dial 19 is secured to and rota-tablewith the shaft 10 and has the letters of the alphabet corresponding tothe letters under the pointer 20 which is secured to the frame.

The ratchet wheel 0 1s secured to the rear end of and rotates with theshaft 10 and has .the notches 21 numerically corresponding to the numberof type members on the element A and spaced so that each notchisopposite one of the type members. The plunger 22 is resiliently mountedin the bracket 23 which is secured to the frame and has the pointed end24 adapted to the notches 21 and is positioned so that the end 24-engages one of the notches and rotates the wheel C in case the dial hasbeen rotated so that the corresponding letter was not directly under thepointer 20 but was approximately so and thereby rotates the element A tocorrect position and brings the corresponding type member into correctmarking position and holds the same in that position while the markingis being performed by means of the handle 15 which, when moveddownwardly and forwardly, rotates the shaft 14 and thereby rotates thecam 13 and moves the movable end of the arm 11 downwardly andconsequently moves the wheel C downwardly with it to engage tile notchesthereof with the end 24 of the longitudinally resilient but laterallyfixed plunger 22 and thereby prevents rotation of the element A when thesame is moved downwardly sufficiently far to bring one of the typemembers into marking position.

In the present instance, the inking means comprises the arm 25 havingone end thereof hinged or pivoted onto the pin 26 which is mounted inthe arm 11 and the other end thereof carrying the inking roller 27 ofany suitable kind. Due to this hinged or pivoted condition of the roller27, the same can be swung into contact with the type members to ink thesame or can be swung out of contact with the type members and willremain in either of these positions due to gravity although springs orother means can be employed if desired. r

The heating means, in the present instance, comprises the annular casingD which is supportedon the spider 28, spoked to prevent as far aspossible the radiation of heat from the casing into other parts of thedevice, which spider is supported on the shaft 10 but is slidable onthis shaft longitudinally of this shaft and toward and away from andcontactable on the element A and is prevented from rotation by the screw29 permanently threaded into the spider and extending through and isguided in the arm 11 and has the knob 30 on the outer end thereof totake hold of the screw to move the same and the heating element thereoneither inwardly to contact the heating element onto the element A oroutwardly as far as itcan go or to any position within these limits andthereby permit the heating element to heat the type members to anydesired degree within the limits of the heating means and according tothe distance of the heating means from the type members. The electricalresistance member 31 is electrically insulated within the casing D andhas the terminals 32 and 33 for connection to a source of electricitywhich, when turned on, heats the casing D which imparts or radiates theheat thereof to the element A and thereby heats the type members more orless according to the distance of the casing from the element A. Thisheating of the type elements can be carried to any desired degree sothat the charac-' ters of the type elements can be either slightlyscorched or burned more or less deeply into the surface of an article orto any desired degree within these limits.

The article holding element, in the present instance a ball holdingmeans, comprises the element or member E having the cup shaped innerend-34: and being mounted on and rotatable with but longitudinally fixedon the shaft 35 which is journaled in the frame B and carries theratchet wheel 36 which has the notches 37 spaced according to desiredspacing of characters to be marked and is rotatable with the shaft. Theelement or member F has the cup shaped inner end 38 thereof is {closerto the cup shaped end 38' knob 4 7 thereon while the member F is heldagainst rotation, the pin 46 engages the inclined uneven wall of theslot 42 and thereby forces the member F inwardly and against the balland the depressions 45 engage the pin and prevent the same from leavingits position in the slot 42 and thereby holds the ball securely until itis released by an operation reversely of the clamping operationdescribed. This clamping of the ball can be carried to any desireddegree of pressure by means of the rotational relations between themember F and the shaft 39, but this pressure will not deform the ballsince it is gripped by cup shaped elements from opposite sides.

The pan H has the arcuate surface 48 parallel with the shafts and 39 andclears the outer circumferential surfaces of the members E and F. Whenthe member F is moved back into inoperative position on the shaft 39,the ball is placed upon the surface 48, is not held in any definiteposition thereon, and usually rests below the position in which the cupshaped ends of the members E and F would hold it. When the member F ismoved longitudinally inward on the shaft 39 toward and into contact withthe ball, the pin 46 is guided in the slot 40 until the member Fcontacts the ball and is then opposite the-end 43 of the slot 42. Anoppositely rotative movement between the member F and the shaft 39causes the pin 46 to enter the slot 42 and contact the inclined innerwall thereof and thereby forces the member F against the ball. While themember F is being moved toward the ball, the cup shaped end thereofengages the spherical surface of the ball and thereby lifts or moves thesame upwardly until it rests in and is centralized in the cup shaped end38 and consequently in the aligned cup shaped end 34 and thereby locatesthe ball in proper marking position.

The character spacing means. for the ball G includes the ratchet pawl 49having the free end 50 engageable into the notches 37 and being pivotedon the bar '51 longitudi nally movable transversely of the shaft 35.

The bell crank lever I is pivoted on the frame; the crank 52 thereof ishinged or pivoted to one end of the bar 51; the tension spring 53 hasone end thereof hooked onto the arm 54 of the lever I and the other endthereof hooked onto the frame and thereby normally retains the pawl 49out of contact with the notches 37 and moves the bar -and the pawl outof contact with the notches 37 fora new spacing operation each time thehandle .15 is released after a marking operation.

The longitudinally movable bar J is guided in the brackets 55 and 56which are mounted on the frame. The lower end of the bar J contacts thecrank 57 of the lever I and the upper end thereof carries the head 58with the compression spring 59 between the bracket 55 and the head 58 tonormally retain the bar J in uppermost position. The cam 60 is mountedon the shaft 14 and rotates with it and is arranged and positioned sothat the same contacts the head 58 and moves the bar J downwardly andthrough one ball spacing movement during the first portion of thedownward movement of the handle 15 and then holds the spacing means inthat position until the :movem'ent of the handle-wis reversed whereuponthe springs 59 and 53 return the spacing means back to normal or readyfor the next "spacing position. While the bar J is moving downwardly,the lever I is rotated on its pivot and thereby moves the bar 51longitudinally and thereby causes the end 50 of the pawl to engage oneof the notches and rotate the wheel 36 and consequently the ball G andthe ball holding means and thereby rotates the ball for characterspacing thereon during the first portion of the downward movement of thebar J and to hold the bar in that position during the remainder of thedownward movement of the bar J to retain the ball during the markingoperation.

As to the general operation of the device shown and described Place theball G on the surface 48 of the pan H between the cup shaped ends 84 and38; then move the member F toward and against the ball and therebylocate and raise it into proper position for marking; then rotate themember F and the shaft 39 oppositely until the ball is clamped tightlybetween'the two cup shaped ends; then'se'lect the first one of thecharacters or letters to be marked on the ball and rotate the dial bymeans of the knob 18 until the selected character or letter thereon isunder the index finger or pointer 20; then move the handle 15 forwardlyand downwardly until the type face ofthe type member contacts the ball;then press as hard on the handle 15 as is necessary to impress the markinto the surface of'the ball 'as deep as desired; then release thehandle 15 whereupon all of the moving mechanism of thedevice is returnedoriginal position; then select the next character or letter to be markedon the ball and again rotate the dial in the manner described; thenagain move the handle as matically indexes the ball tospace the newcharacter or letter from the first one'before the type-member contactsthe ball and holds it there during the marking operation; then proceedin the same manner with other characters or letters even continuing thismark ing operation until characters or letters are marked all the wayaround on the ball whereupon the position of the ball can be changed asdescribed to present new surface thereof to the type members so thatseveral lines of characters or letters can be marked on a ball when sodesired.

The inking roller 27 can be moved into or out of contact with the typefaces of the type members as is plainly evident in the drawings when sodesired. 7

The heating element can be contacted on the element A or spaced from thesame to heat the type members to any desired degree by sliding theheating element on the shaft 10 as described.

The inking and the heating of the type members can be'carried onconjointly or independently as desired.

The device shown and described utilizes features of my invention. Thetype members can be heated as and if desired and to any desired degreeto mark anarticle with characters scorched or burned in to any desireddegree; the type faces of the type members can be inked or not asdesired for printing purposes; the type faces of the type members can beinked and heated if desired; the article to be marked is held withoutdistortion; a ball can be marked easily and conveniently and withoutdistorting the same; any combination of characters on the device can beeffected selectively; the spacing between the characters is effectedautomatically during the marking operations; and the article isautomatically moved into proper marking position, is effectively held inthat position during the marking operations and is easily released.

I am aware that my invention is applicable to devices other than the oneshown and described and that changes can be made in the structure and inthe arrangement of elements as shown and described within the scope ofthe appended claims; therefore, without limiting myself to the preciseapplication of my invention nor to the precise structure and arrangementof elements as shown and described,

I claim -1. A device of the character described including a type holderwith character printing type thereon mounted on the device to move tomark an article and to rotate to selectively bring anyone of theprinting type thereon into marking position, a 'heating element mountedon the device to be moved into contact with said'type holder and tovarious distances from the same to. heat the thereon during the initialmovement of said handle means for a marking operation.

2. A device of the character described in eluding a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark an article, a heating element invariable heat radiating re-.

lation to said type holder, handle means to move said type holder, anarticle holder means mounted for article holding move ment thereof andhaving a character spacing means for the article, and connecting meansbetween said spacing means and said handle means to move thearticle-into marking position during the first portion of a markingmovement of said type holder.

3. A device of the character described in,- cluding a movable element tomark an article having type members, means for moving said element toimprint an article, and an article holder comprising a positionallyfixed rotatable cup shaped member to contact a ball, mechanism operatedbysaid moving means to digitally rotate said cup shaped member when saidelement is out of printing position, a cup shaped member mounted toco-operate with the first said cup shaped member to hold said ballbetween them and movable to release and to contact and to locate saidball, and means for forcing the second mentioned cup shaped memberagainst said ball and looking the same against said ball and releasingthe same from said ball.

4:. A deviceof the character described including a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark an article, a handle means tomove said type holder, a rotatable ball holding means including a pair.of cup shaped members mounted to position and hold and release a ball,a spacing means to rotate said ball for spacing of characters thereon,and connecting means between said spacing means and said handle means torotate said ball into marking position dur ing the first portion of amarking movement of said type holder.

5. A device of the character described including a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark an article, a handle means tomove said type holder, a rotatable ball holding means to position andhold and release a ball, a spacing means to rotate said ball holdingmeans and a ball therein for spacing of characters on the bail,-andconnecting means between said spacing means and said handle means torotate said ball holding means to move the ball into marking positionduring the first portion of a marking movement of said type holder.

6. A device of the character described including a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark an article, a heating element invariable heat radiating relation to said type holder, a handle means tomove said type holder, a rotatable ball holding means to position andhold and release a ball, a spacing means to rotate said ball holdingmeans for spacing of characters on the ball, and connection meansbetween said spacing means and said handle means to rotate said ballholding means to move the ball into marking position during the firstportion of a marking movement of said type holder. 7

7. A device of the character described including a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark an article, a handle means tomove said type holder, a heating element in variable heat radiatingrelation to said type holder to heat the same and the type thereon tovarious degrees, a rotatable ball holding means including a pair of cupshaped members mounted to position and hold and release a ball, aspacing means to rotate said ball holding means for spacing ofcharacters on the ball, and connecting means between said spacing meansand said handle means to rotate said ball holding means to move the ballinto marking position during the first portion of a marking movement ofsaid type holder.

8. A device of the character described includin g a type holder and typethereon movable to mark an article in the device, an electric heatingelement in variable heat radiating relation to said type holder, andspacing means for spacing characters on the type onto the articleoperated conjointly with movement of said type holder to move thearticle for successive marking thereon.

9. A device of the character described including a type holder andcharacter type thereon movable to mark a ball in the device anddigitally movable to selectively bring any one of the type on the typeholder into marking position, character spacing means for the balloperated conjointly with movement of said type holder to move the ballfor successive marking operations, means to hold the ball in markingrelation to said type holder, and an electric heating element invariable heat radiating relation to said type holder to heat said typeto various degrees for various degrees of marking the characters on theball.

10. In a ball marking device, the combination of, a type holder Withtype thereon and adapted to be moved and indexed to mark an article, aheating means adjustably adjacent to said type holder to heat saidsignature.

GEORGE W. HEENE.

